When Michael Vick took off for one of his dazzling runs against the Colts on Sunday, you could almost hear the entire stadium, the Eagles sideline and the team's ownership box all scream in unison, "Slide!"

But he just won't do it.

"I don’t know how to do it." the Eagles quarterback said. "I don’t know how to slide, so I won’t get into that right now. I either get down, I go head first or dive or just fall. For some reason I always think I’m going to get hurt or something crazy’s going to happen.”

Some have suggested Vick take lessons with a baseball coach who could teach him the finer art of sliding feet first. Actually, when he was in Atlanta, Vick said, the Falcons sent him to the Braves for instruction.

“It won’t happen," Vick said. "I did it before down in Atlanta. It didn’t work.”

Andy Reid joked after the win over the Colts about the one time Vick stepped out of bounds before getting hit, but the Eagles coach seems to have come to terms with Vick's not sliding.

“Listen, I let Michael play," Reid said. "I mean, he knows. Listen, he’s the one that had the cracked cartilage, there. And so that’s not a real fun experience. So he knows when he needs to get out [of bounds]. And I was joking when I made that statement. But listen, he got out of bounds a couple times, which is good.”

Vick spoke briefly with reporters before heading to a meeting as he and the Eagles prepare for Monday night's rematch against the Redskins.

The Eagles are expected to be without starting free safety Nate Allen (neck) and starting right guard Max Jean-Gilles (concussion). Neither will practice Thursday, Reid said. Jean-Gilles has not passed his post-concussion tests and has not been examined by an independent neurologist, Reid added.

Rookie Kurt Coleman will fill in for Allen and Nick Cole will take Jean-Gilles' place.

Cornerback Ellis Hobbs (hip) and tackle King Dunlap (knee) were going to be eased back into practice. Reid said that it would be a "stretch" for Hobbs to make it back by Monday. Dimitri Patterson filled in for Hobbs against the Colts and played well.